Ex-Manchester United’s coach Erik ten Hag names only ONE changed needed at Manchester United before the club could succeed.
Erik ten Hag has offered a blunt assessment of Manchester United’s ongoing struggles, asserting that merely switching managers will not resolve the club’s deep-rooted issues. Since Sir Alex Ferguson’s departure in 2013, United has cycled through a series of high-profile managers—David Moyes, Louis van Gaal, José Mourinho, Ole Gunnar Solskjær, Ralf Rangnick, and Ten Hag himself—yet the club remains adrift despite heavy investment in players and tactical overhauls.
Ten Hag believes United’s problems stem from a flawed football structure and poor decision-making, rather than a lack of managerial talent. He stressed that without a well-defined sporting strategy and a competent football director, no manager can truly succeed. The club’s decision-making, he argued, is often dictated by commercial interests rather than footballing priorities, leaving managers unable to implement a long-term vision or build a cohesive squad. Unlike their Premier League rivals, Manchester City, Liverpool, and Arsenal—who have established recruitment strategies and clear footballing identities—United continues to operate in a reactive, short-term manner, throwing money at problems without addressing their root causes.
This is not the first time a former United manager has raised concerns about the club’s internal dysfunction. Mourinho previously pointed out the lack of a solid foundation for sustained success, while Rangnick famously suggested that United required “open-heart surgery” to fix its structural flaws. Despite these warnings, the club remains plagued by inconsistency and a lack of direction, as evidenced by its financial struggles, including a reported £27.7 million loss in the final quarter of 2024—partly attributed to managerial dismissals and the financial hit of missing out on Champions League revenue.
With Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s INEOS group taking control of football operations, there is hope that necessary reforms will finally be implemented. The restructuring has already led to cost-cutting measures and adjustments in football operations, though these changes have been met with mixed reactions. Pundits like Jamie Redknapp have warned that United could endure “18 months of pain” before seeing real progress, emphasizing that patience and cultural transformation are required to rebuild the club properly.
The appointment of Ruben Amorim as manager was meant to introduce fresh ideas and tactical innovation, but the team’s fortunes have only worsened. United currently sits 15th in the Premier League, struggling with both poor performances on the pitch and financial constraints that hinder essential squad reinforcements. While every new managerial appointment sparks hope among fans, United’s future success depends on addressing the structural and cultural flaws that have held the club back for over a decade. Until those fundamental issues are resolved, the cycle of disappointment will likely continue.
